As good as advertsied: Brother Rice tops Sault High in OT

Birmingham Brother Rice beat Sault High 5-4 in overtime in a game between two of the best high school hockey teams in the state. Brother Rice, coming in as defending Division 2 champions and the top-ranked team in Division 1 this season, scored 37 seconds into overtime on a Matthew Manning goal against the Blue Devils, the No. 2 team in Division 3 in a game where Sault High came from behind to tie the game four times.

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By PETER PIETRANGELO

Sault Ste. Marie Evening News - Sault Ste. Marie, MI

By PETER PIETRANGELO

Posted Dec. 16, 2012 at 4:22 PM
Updated Dec 16, 2012 at 4:23 PM

By PETER PIETRANGELO

Posted Dec. 16, 2012 at 4:22 PM
Updated Dec 16, 2012 at 4:23 PM

SAULT STE. MARIE — It was everything advertised and expected and more, referring to both the teams and the game.

Birmingham Brother Rice beat Sault High 5-4 in overtime in a game between two of the best high school hockey teams in the state. Brother Rice, coming in as defending Division 2 champions and the top-ranked team in Division 1 this season, scored 37 seconds into overtime on a Matthew Manning goal against the Blue Devils, the No. 2 team in Division 3 in a game where Sault High came from behind to tie the game four times.

"We got exactly what we thought we were going to get," Brother Rice coach Lou Schmidt said. "They're a hard-working team. They just keep coming at you."

That's what the Blue Devils (7-1-0) did in the third period. Down a goal coming in, Blake Mastaw scored 11 seconds into the third to tie the game 3-3 on a quick shot from the right side.

"But we were always one shot away. That's what the kids were saying on the bench the whole time," Ferroni said.

The Warriors (7-0-1) took the lead again on a penalty shot after Nick Rosa nearly scored on a breakaway opportunity. Blake Bazzi beat Sault High goalie Nick McKenzie with 6:14 left in the game. The Blue Devils sent the game into overtime on a Willem Gauthier blast from the point with 1:19 left in regulation.

"We really just wanted to put the puck on net every time we got a chance to," Ferroni said. "We didn't want to make big plays. They're too darn good, that's the best team in the state."

The Blue Devils came out with the intention of playing more physical than they had all season to neutralize the Warriors' skating skills, and it rattled the Warriors through the first part of the game. The Warriors' conference, the Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League, has a well-earned reputation as the best in the state, but it doesn't have a reputation for being a physical league.

"You see a lot more aggressive play, especially in the d-zone," Schmidt said when asked to compare styles. "The only way to adjust to that is make your opportunities count when they happen, and we did that."

Sault High outshot Brother Rice 41-29.

"With the schedule we have coming up, things aren't getting any easier," Ferroni said. "Are we capable of playing like that every single night? Probably not. But we know we can if we reach down."

The Blue Devils begin the meat of their schedule beginning next weekend at the Grosse Pointe Challenge where they face Muskegon Mona Shores, ranked sixth in Division 1, and either defending D3 champions Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett or Grosse Pointe South. Then it's the MacInnes Classic featuring ranked teams Houghton and Calumet, and then a showcase-filled January with games against four ranked teams.

Page 2 of 2 - "People never learn what their potential is until they're challenged," Ferroni said. "Adversity hit us several times, because we were always down."

Ross Haffey scored for the Warriors nine seconds after the Blue Devils killed a penalty before Kyle TenEyck tied the game with 1:23 left in the period. Brother Rice took the lead back on a Russell Cicerone power-play goal, and Chris Skinner tied the game with 1:52 left in the period on a goal with a two-man advantage. Conner Jean gave the Warriors the lead at intermission with a goal 12 seconds before the end of the second.